The Best Time to Sell a House (And the Worst)

Home sellers usually have two goals in mind: Sell their house for the highest possible price, and sell it quickly.

While choosing the right agent and having a great marketing plan can certainly help move the needle, the key to achieving these goals lies in timing – both on the calendar and in the overall market.

Market-wise, you want to list your home in a sellers' market. This essentially means demand is up, inventory is low and bidding wars are frequent. In recent years, sellers' markets have been pretty common (though there’s a chance this may change due to the current economic uncertainty).

Fortunately, the calendar can also guide sellers on the right time to list their homes. If you’re considering selling your house right now or sometime down the road, let the data below guide the way.

When is the Best Time to Sell a House?

Seasonally, the best time to sell a house is in the spring, though summer is a close second. The weather’s nicer, the days are longer and families are looking to finalize their purchases before the new school year begins.

But those aren’t the only good times to sell a house – and data actually supports specific months, weeks and dates when it might be even better.

Do you want to make sure you get the highest price or sell on the fastest timeline? Here’s when to sell:

• The Best Month: May (specifically early May) is the best time to sell your house if you want the highest sales price. Homes sell for about 1 percent more than in other months (that’s $2,500 on a $250,000 home). If selling fast is your ultimate goal, data shows April is the way to go. Homes listed in April sell a full week faster, on average, than in other months.

• The Best Week: The single best week to sell your home? April 13 to 19. Data shows demand is higher and Homes listed in this period get nearly 18% more views and sell nine days faster.

• The Best Day: Thursday is the best day of the week to list. Your listing is generating interest in time for weekend showings.

When is the Worst Time to Sell a House?

Just as important as knowing the best times to sell is understanding the worst. Fall and winter see sales slumps with lower offers, particularly in September, October, and November.

Holidays and weather can impact sales in both winter. Cold weather and money savings during holidays keep people from buying as much during those times.

At a more granular level, you might also want to avoid listing your house on Sunday and Monday. Many buyers are looking to view showings on the weekends, new listings closer to the end of the week keep your home listing fresh.

Other Ways to Time Your Home Sale

If you really want to time your sale right, you’ll need to look at local market conditions, too. Are there plenty of buyers house hunting? Are homes selling quickly? Are home values rising? If so, it’s probably a good time to sell. If, on the other hand, buyers are sparse, the supply is brimming and homes are taking a while to sell, you may want to hold off a bit until the market strengthens.

If you’re not sure what current conditions are like where you’re located, you should ask a local real estate agent. They’ll have a good pulse on what buyer traffic, home values, supply and sale times look like in your area, and they can also help you sell and market your house when it comes time. (Keep in mind that they will charge a commission for this, though – usually 6 percent to 7 percent of the sales price).

The Bottom Line

Timing matters – especially when it comes to selling real estate. Use the calendar data above to help guide your selling decision, and be sure to consult a local real estate agent. They can fill you in on the latest market conditions and help you better pinpoint the best time to sell a property in your specific area.

And if a new construction property is on your radar once that old home is sold, then head over to our resources section or check out our expert home builder reviews for more guidance. NewHomeSource is here to help every step of the way.